At this hour while yet the heart burns with the anguish of sorrow, and the gloom of bereavement
still hangs low, my thoughts turn in loving
remembrance to my sincere beloved sisters and
brothers in the Cause.

2

The news of your firmness in the Covenant, of
your endeavour to work in unity and harmony, and
of your untiring zeal and devotion in the Path of
Service, has been a source of untold joy to me. For
now my sole comfort lies in the loyalty and faithfulness
of the friends, and my one joy in the progress of
the Cause.

3

Dear friends! At this critical time through which
the Cause is passing the responsibility that has fallen
on every individual Bahá'í is great, and his duties
are pressing and manifold. Now that the Sun of the
Covenant has set on the horizon of the world, the
eyes of all the people are turned expectant upon us.
Now the time has come for the faithful friends of
`Abdu'l-Bahá, who have been the recipients of the
Glorious Light, to shine forth even as brilliant stars.
The radiance of our Faith must be such as to dispel
the clouds of doubt and guide the world to the
Day-spring of Truth.

4

Our firmness must be such as to cause him who
wavers and errs to turn back penitent unto the fold;
our unity and love must be such as to cause the
peoples of the world to join hands in amity and
brotherhood; and our activity in service must be
such as to have all parts of the world resound with
the echoes of `YA-BAHA'U'L-ABHA!'.

5

For inspiration and guidance let us turn unto His
life-imparting exhortations: `O friends, show forth
your fidelity! O my loved ones, manifest your steadfastness
and your constancy! O ye who invoke His Name,
turn ye and hold fast unto Him! O ye who lift up your
hearts and implore His aid, cling to Him and walk in His
ways! It is incumbent upon every one of us to encourage
each other, to exert our utmost endeavour to diffuse His
divine fragrances and engage in exalting His Word. We
must, at all times, be stirred by the breeze that bloweth
from the rose-garden of His loving-kindness, and be
perfumed with the fragrances of the mystic flowers of His
grace.'

6

Thus does `Abdu'l-Bahá still call to us from His
realm of effulgent glory. Will not each of us hearken
unto His voice, and exert the utmost endeavour to
fulfil His hopes?

7

Dear friends, this is the day of faithfulness; this is
the day of unity; this is the day of service. Let us not
wait, nor ponder, but, detached from the world and
its concerns, clad in the armour of faith, filled with
the divine spirit of love, and quickened by His
life-giving exhortations, let us arise in utmost love
and harmony, hasten to the field of service, and
subdue the domain of hearts with the arms of the
love of God and the sword of peace and brotherhood.

8

For all inspiration and assurance let us turn unto
Bahá'u'lláh's promise: `Be not dismayed, O peoples
of the world, when the day-star of My beauty is set, and
the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes.
Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word
amongst men. We are with you at all times, and shall
strengthen you through the power of truth. We are truly
almighty.'

9

Dear friends! A great obligation of every Bahá'í
is vigilance to protect and shield the stronghold of the
Faith from the onslaught of the enemies. In these days
their activity has waxed strong. They are constantly
on the alert, and exert the utmost endeavour to cause
such harm as would impede the onward march of the
Cause.

10

Association with such people will cause discord
and unrest among the friends and will be detrimental
to the progress of the Cause. Therefore it is urgent
that the friends exercise great wisdom and vigilance
lest through the evil schemes of the enemies a breach
be made in the Faith. The few people whom
`Abdu'l-Bahá pronounced as injurious to the Cause
must be shunned by all the friends, as Shoghi Effendi
himself tells us to do in his second letter to the
American believers.